Unfortunately, it’s impossible to avoid failure altogether. As much as we desire and strive for success, we will not be able to succeed 100% of the time. So, if we have to face failures along the way, we must understand how to get through them, learn and grow. In the end, failures can become positive events in our life. Let’s take a look at how we can turn past failures into future success.
Own It – If we’re going to get through failures in a healthy way, we much acknowledge that we failed and take responsibility. How can you learn from a failure that you’re not willing to own up to? If you’re refusing to acknowledge it, you will never be able to clearly see what went wrong. If you can’t see what went wrong then you cannot fix it and avoid it in the future. It all starts with looking your failures in the face and admitting where you made mistakes.
Feel the Pain – When we experience major letdowns, we must take the time to mourn and feel the pain. Sometimes the temptation is to numb it and move on but in the end the wound is never healed and will resurface again which could lead to greater damage and more failure. It’s ok to feel sad, hurt or upset about a failure and it’s healthy to let yourself feel it and process it. This will give you the ability to move forward without carrying the wound into another endeavor.
Learn and Adjust – It’s been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Don’t be insane. Obviously what didn’t work last time, will not work this time. Learn from what went wrong before and don’t repeat the same mistakes. Allow your failures to teach you how to do things differently.
So, failures will inevitably come but they can be a very positive force in teaching us how to become better and more effective in what we do. So when failure comes, own it, feel the pain, learn from it and adjust your behavior!